Creative Tabs

[Tyron]

We are currently in the process of implementing creative tabs and thinking what would be the best way to categorize blocks.

Since this is a creative mode tool with the main goal to support builders in their build process, one idea would be to categorize it according to typical build steps, so perhaps we'd have 5 tabs:
 

• Step 1: Terraforming basic terrain
  Tab: Terrain  (Water, Ice, Lava, Rock, Ore-in-rock, sand, gravel, soil, ...)
• Step 2: Decorate with plant life
  Tab: Flora   (Plants, Logs, Tallgrass, Flowers, ...)
• Step 3: Construct buildings
  Tab: Construction Materials  (Planks, Stairs, Slabs, Quartz, Bricks, Rock, etc..)
• Step 4: Decorate the interior of buildlings
  Tab: Decorative  (Paintings, Bookshelves, Chest, Bed, Torches, etc.)
• Step 5: Fill containers with stuff?
  Tab: Items

We are on the search for the best possible naming solution, so please provide us with feedback! :-)
Note: A block/item can be in multiple tabs at once.

[UmbraCreations]

This is quite perfect. I have not much to add there. Maybe make it a Utility and Decorative tab on step 4.

 

It will certainly make it easier with this kind of categorization to find the blocks you need. That will suffice certainly.

Of course this is just a personal opinion. I usually have a toolbar of blocks and items to use ready, so i am not very often confronted with the problem of not finding the block of choice. It will be interesting for me what other builders would have to say to this categorization.

Plus, i am not the best example for a builder either. I like to start with terrain but proceed immediately with basic structures. Sometimes i even start with a building and add the rest afterwards so yeee i'm a little exception to normal logic and normal building routines.

 

~ Chris

 

[Ivan]

I see more than 5.

1. Terrain (natural block range)
2. Flora (plants, hay, tree saplings)
3. Wood (blocks, roofing, doors, stairs etc)
4. Stone (bricks, slabs)
5. Metal (processed ores)
6. Tools (picks, shovels, fishing rods)
7. Arms (swords, armor)
8. Storage (buckets, chest, bookshelves, glass ware, pots)
9. Artisan (furnaces, craft tables, molds, anvils)
10. Food (meals, ingredients, raw meats, fish)
11. Apparel. (gloves, aprons, cloaks, raw leather + furs)

So I see potentially 11 tabs, 10 if tools and arms are rolled together. 12 if Items is added to include things like books and scrolls (and other writing materials)

 

Perhaps the over all tab count I have is too high. For the sake of simplicity (as many players will not speak English as their first language) tabs could have icons. Wood block = wood items, stone = all stone/brick, chest = storage etc. 

[skol]

I would generally support to have rather more than less tabs.

But i really like the clean high level order that Tyron suggested.

What about a kind of second level structure, based on the 5 high level tabs?
For each of this categories (horizontal tabs) there could be side by side 3 independent scrollable grids for further separation (2 for the most popular subcategories, 1 for the rest).

• Terrain => Ground (rock, gravel, sand), Ore-in-ground, Other (soils, liquids, frozen liquids)
• Flora => Logs & Leafs, Forbs & Bushes, Other (epiphytes, fungi, cacti, algae)
• Fauna (might come at some time)
• Construction => Wood, Stone, Other (processed metals and minerals)
• Mechanics (might come might come at some time)
• Decorative => Storage, Artisan, Other (tables, chairs, beds, paintings, tapestry, carpets, flower pots ...)
• Items => Tools & Arms, Food & Potions, Other (cloth, leather/furs, books/scrolls, writing stuff ...)

Maybe have the distribution of subcategories to the three grids configurable (checkbox for each subcategory if its visible in the favorites slot 1 or 2, the rest rest is automagically slot 3)

 

[Tyron]

Subcategories might be the way to go indeed. Right now each tab doesn't have that many slots so I think it should be ok for now.

[Jdbener]

I cast my vote for the subcategories hat.